Recent Set Reports

Emma Sandrey:

Yesterday I was lucky enough to see some filming just outside the Maelfa shopping centre in Llanedeyrn. Camille Coduri and the newly announced Marc Warren were doing a rather tense scene. It seems the Maelfa area was doubling-up as the Powell Estate - St. David's cars had been turned into Powell Estate Motors - and graffiti and posters were put up all around to create a run-down effect. It also looks like it's set in autumn because leaves were being thrown around everywhere. Oh and Phil Collinson, one of the producers, was also on the set.

The scene involved Jackie confronting Elton Pope about a photo of Rose that he'd taken and she had found. I think [though I'm not 100% sure] that Elton is meant to be dating Jackie. So understandably she gets upset and has a go at him. Elton explains that it's the Doctor he was after. Jackie then went on about it's hard being the one who's left behind and how that in turn hardens you. She also said she'd protect 'both of them' her whole life. [I don't know who that refers to, either Doctor/Rose or Mickey/Rose I think]. Then she went off in a huff.

The scene was repeated about 10 times so they could get different angles. There was a lot of noise because of traffic [the buses go by every 7 minutes - possibly the worst place to shoot] and it started raining at one point.

I also know there was other filming yesterday on Cecil Street in Broadway. Both inside and outside of a launderette. Both Billie and David were involved that. A friend tells me there was lots of running up and down the street.

Additionally the day before that there was filming in town, at the Central Library and before that they were shooting in a house in Heol Pentwyn, Whitchurch.

I assume all the filming was for episode 10 although we do know for sure that the stuff with Marc Warren was definitely for that part.

Paul Mount:

I took a little detour on my way to the gym tonight. Needless to say, I didn't get to the gym and am now back home having frozen off every possible freezable bit by standing in the Hayes in Cardiff in the middle of....an Auton attack!!

The long version?? Okay....made my way to the area behind/alongside the Central Railway Station in Cardiff. A number of the usual vans and lighting rigs and a couple of large arc lights fully illuminated. Not much sign of life but some people lurking near the vans. Couldn't help thinking something was going on somewhere so wandered into the city centre. In the hayes, outside La Fosse (where the restaurant interiors for 'Rose' were shot and within spitting distance of St David's centre, the scene of the major Auton attack) yet more illuminated lights, a camera, some metal chairs set up. One or two security guards. Curiouser and curiouser. Suddenly....the distant sound of screams. Lots of screams. Traced it to an area a few hundred yards away, near the Library area. Here are a couple of dozen extras all carrying shopping etc. At first I thought they were just curious members of the public watching what was clearly filming for Dr Who despite the absence of anything discernibly recognisable as being from Dr Who....until I saw a technician in the background walking about with an Auton prosthetic mask in his hand!! Something's afoot!! But here's the fun!! "Action!" All the people around me startinmg running and screaming, panicky. There's me in the middle of it all, freezing in my fleece, hands in my pockets. What could I do? Obviously....I ran and screamed too, running discreetly off set so I could watch from a more sensible distance. So if you see a stocky cold-looking bloke in a blue fleece in episode 11....that'll be me then!!

The scene was rehearsed/recorded a few times and then the whole unit moved off to the Hayes. Here's where it got interesting. More rehearsing of people running and screaming, unmade-up Autons amongst trhem (including the Auton bride....yaay, she's back!), a taxi with a Henrik's livery was manoeuvred into place, then a motorbike.. Cue the smoke, burning debris, Hustle's Marc Warren dodging amongst the chaos and nearly getting run over by the taxi. After a few rehearsals the Autons were sealed into their masks (they still don't join up at the back) and the attack scene was filmed again. Looks like those who weren't impressed by the Auton break-out in 'Rose' might be a little happier this time..

Filming wrapped up about 9.30pm and eveyone toddled off.

Timothy Farr:

On my way to catch the train at around 4.30pm on Wednesday, 22nd March, following a text tip off I wandered past Baker's Oven (a cafe under the library at the back of the St David's Centre). There was an Any Effects van and a glazier's van outside, plus workmen inside one end of Baker's Oven, although most of it was still open for business. It's my supposition that the real windows were being carefully removed from Baker's Oven so that safely shatterable sugarglass ones could be substituted for filming later on. A similar situation occurred for filming of Rose in Working Street in 2004 when a sports wear shop became Classic Bride for the sequence where the three Auton Brides come to life. Ironically enough, a genuine wedding outfitters is adjacent to the opposite end of Baker's Oven from where the work was being done.